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Mayor Shane Bemis and apartment managers faced off during last night’s town hall discussion about Gresham’s proposed citywide fee to support public safety and parks budgets, with the mayor rejecting managers’ argument that the $7.50 monthly fee would price out renters.

“I don’t think Gresham’s vision for the future is being the lowest rent area in the region,” Bemis said.

The proposed fee would add $7.50 per month – $15 per bill — to every utility bill in the city of Gresham, about 40,000 residential and commercial customers. City officials say it’s necessary to maintain services. Without the additional $3.5 million revenue per year, they say, police, fire and parks services will suffer additional cuts.

They say the fee puts an unfair burden on apartment owners, who will have to eat the fee — applied per unit in the building — until they can pass it on to renters.

One owner said it will add an additional $9,000 per year operating cost to his property, and another said it will add an additional $16,000 to his.

Meanwhile, big businesses like Fred Meyer and Boeing — and the mayor’s restaurant downtown, one commenter pointed out — would all pay $7.50 per month, just like a residential household, though the businesses arguably use more city services.

The program is limited to once a year and covers a percentage of a bill.

There’s also the Neighbors Helping Neighbors fund. The program allows people or businesses to donate to the fund, which goes to the utilities assistance program, making available more money to help cover water, wastewater and stormwater bills.

Since it started in 1995 the city has collected more than $5,530 in donations, according to the city.

Carol Rulla, president of the Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations, suggested expanding the program to include the proposed fee. Some residents at town halls said they would pay double or triple the fee. Those people, Rulla said, could do so through the fund.

“Apartment tenants may be struggling, but people in homes may be struggling too,” she said. “This could help.”

Click here to view the original article written by Sara Hottman for OregonLive.com.

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